The Moksoo-Pyunsoo of the 17th Century Palace Building Constructions of the Chosun Dynasty

조선조 17세기 궁궐건축공사에 종사한 목수편수에 대하여

According to the 17th century palace construction documents, head artisans were called Pyunsoo. In one building constructions, not only carpenters but also masons, plasterers and painters had their own head, Pyunsoos. This meant that Moksoo-Pyunsoo, head carpenter, could not manage the whole design of the building. Moreover, in many cases, selecting and laying the site of the building were determined by the geomancers. Under those working conditions, Moksoo-Pyunsoo could only have charge of designing the wooden parts, such as structural forms or detailed carvings. The documents showed that some dominent carpenters, like Kwak Ki Jong or Lee Choon Bong, had taken on the post of Moksoo-Pyunsoo in almost every palace constructions, especially inner palace buildings. Form the fact that the same carpenters had worked continuosly, it can be presumed that there would have many resemblance of structural forms or carvings among those inner palace buildings.